A  GREAT  LIFE

A great life doesn't happen by accident. A great life is the result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up for stress and failure, and start setting up your life to support success and ease. A great life is the result of using the 24/7 you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what comes next. Customize these "secrets" to fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today.

1. S-Simplify

A great life is the result of simplifying your life. People often misinterpret what simplify means. It's not a way to remove work from your life. When you focus on simplifying your life, you free up time and energy for the work that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are. In order to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours first. 

2. E-Effort

A great life is the result of your best effort. Creating a great life requires that you make some adjustments. It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean looking for ways to spend your energy that coincide with your definition of a great life. Life will reward your best effort.

3. C-Create Priorities

A great life is the result of creating priorities. It's easy to spend your days just responding to the next thing that gets your attention, instead of intentionally using the time, energy, and money you have in a way that's important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

4. R-Reserves

A great life is the result of having reserves -- reserves of things, time, space, energy, money. Having reserves means that you have a lot more than you need -- not 6 months living expenses, but 5 years worth; not 15 minutes of free time, but 1 day. Reserves are important because they reduce the fear of consequences, and allow you to make decisions based on what you really want, instead of what the fear decides. 

5. E-Eliminate Distractions

A great life is the result of eliminating distractions. Up to 75% of your mental energy can be tied up in things that are draining and distracting you. Eliminating distractions can be a difficult concept to many people because they haven't really considered that there is another way to live. Find ways to free up your mental energy from the nagging distractions for the things that are really important to you.

6. T-Thoughts

A great life is the result of controlling your thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it can actually happen to you. Your belief in the outcome will directly dictate how successful you are. Motivated people have specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love. Whatever you think and believe, you create. Listen to what you're telling yourself, and adjust that voice if you need to. 

7. S-Start

A great life is the result of starting. There's the old saying that everyone's familiar with: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." In order to even move from the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There's no better time to start creating a better life than today. Don't wait for a raise, or until the kids get older, or the weather is better. Today, right now, is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your heart's desires. It's what you do TODAY that will make a difference in your life tomorrow. 

Author:  Kathy Gates